One day I was discussing how stress and anxiety are increasing among people? then I got to realize that social media consumes most of our time and certainly a great factor in it.
And we have to do something to keep a bridle on it. So, let’s discuss the effects of social media on our mental health.
What is Social Media?
Social media is a platform on internet where people can express their ideas freely and can connect with people all over the globe.
It includes many websites and applications like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, and many others.
And I think no one is unaware of these applications…
How Social Media is Incorporated in our lives?
To get the answer to this question, just look around and observe how persons you meet daily already have mobile phones in their hands just to use Social media applications.
Count how many times you open social media daily and what happens if you accidentally disconnect with internet for just an hour.
Yes people get tensed if they are unable to check what is up on the social media and it tells us how much it has been incorporated in our lives and how much it can affect us.
According to states, Facebook engages about 70% of youngsters daily, which is really a huge number.
It normally starts with connecting with friends but then we become addicted to it and can not be undermined.
Mental Health Definition
Mental health can be defined as your ability to cope with the stresses of life and mental well being to work productively for yourself and your community.
There are many mental health counselors including Psychologist and Psychiatrist who are working for the mental well-being of the people.
Mental Health Day
10th of October is considered as the mental health day and is observed all over the globe with a different theme every year.
It is an initiative of World Federation for Mental Health who first observed it in 1992.
Major Effects of Social Media on Mental health
Negative Impacts
Creating Practical Loneliness
No doubt, social media has connected us with the whole world and creating ease in socializing but just virtually.
We have so indulged in it that we have forgotten that real socializing is meeting persons in the real world, not on Google Meet.
Most youngsters, who need to be out there seeking the physical and practical experience of the world prefer to remain at home with high-speed internet on their gadget.
So, social media has created more practical loneliness in society by providing an opportunity to connect virtually at home.
Increased Stress, Anxiety and Tension
You must have experienced the restlessness when you are unable to access your Facebook Account or WhatsApp messenger.
This is because of the reason that we have made these things a source of satisfaction and when these are not satisfied, it ultimately creates Stress, Anxiety, and Tension in you because you have a fear of missing out.
On the other hand, people can say anything about you which may also create mental deterioration in you.
Time Consumption
Time is very important in our lives now while using social media, there is no account of time as when you start using it, you forgets when to stop.
I myself keep on scrolling down to see more and more posts and when I look towards the clock it appears that I have wasted hours in just scrolling.
There must be monitoring of the time when using it and more time must be utilized in some productive way.
Harmful Mental Disorders
Phantom Vibration Syndrome
A person with PVS keeps on checking his mobile phone because he is addicted to it.
They think that their phone is vibrating and checks for messages but actually it is just a self-created sensation.
Narcissistic personality disorder, Superiority, and Minority Complexes are also common among people using frequent social media.
In this way, there is a great effect of social media on mental health.
Lowered the practicality
We have been given disguise under the flag of social media and we have more practice of facing others virtually not practically.
And when there is need to face people in real all of our confidence shatters which ultimately creates a bad impact.
Endangered your privacy
There is a truth, whatever you do online or whatever things you like or hate, social media keeps the record of it and it is also okay because in this way they bring quality content toward you.
But this world is also full of hackers who may steal your data and use it against you.
Positive Impacts
Made Everything Easier
Social media has also created ease for many things like you don’t need to go to someone for telling something and you can do it in just seconds.
Many businesses are working just on the basis of social media and it is a perfect platform for effective marketing.
Gaining knowledge has also become easy as there are stacks of it just a click away.
Gave Liberty to Everyone
Social media is a place to share ideas and everyone can express his/her own ideas in any way they want and there is no restrictions to them.
In this way, social media has also generated many new celebrities who are called social media celebrities.
Increased Confidence by Giving Disguise
Social media has deteriorated the mental peace but it has also provided confidence to people who are unable to express themselves among people can express themselves on social media very easily.
They feel understood when people respond to them and it boosts their confidence.
Conclusion:
From all this, we can conclude that social media has certainly become an important part of our lives and greatly affects our mental health and can not be just left.
But the important thing is, we should decrease its use to a limit and spend more time in the practical world instead of that virtual world.
You have to control the use of social media for your good mental health and well-being.
THANK YOU!
